The Hon. S.M. Marikkar

¶ 01 Hon. Deputy Speaker, we are debating the 2024 Mid-Year Fiscal Report, covering January to November last year. It shows significant increases in tax and bill revenues. For example, CEB earned Rs. 139 billion, CPC Rs. 25 billion, and the Water Board Rs. 21 billion — largely by increasing taxes and utility tariffs, squeezing the people.

¶ 02 Even if tax revenue rose, have people’s livelihoods improved? No — malnutrition has not decreased; consumption has fallen; education has not improved; income streams have not expanded. We will give you time, but over 100 days have passed since the President took office. During the election, you said electricity bills of Rs. 3,000 would be cut to Rs. 2,000; Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 4,000; and Rs. 9,000 to Rs. 6,000. By law, CEB is to manage costs, not make profits. Yet CEB has made Rs. 139 billion profit. Then why not pass benefits to the poorest consuming 0–30 or 0–60 units? CEB unions ask for perks; PUCSL issues orders. Last year tariffs were reduced twice. The scheduled reduction late last year was delayed without reason. Why is the Rs. 139 billion surplus not passed to the public?

¶ 03 On fuel, at a rally in Galgamuwa on 19 August, the President said fuel prices could be reduced; besides the Rs. 50 levy, there were over Rs. 100 of other taxes; CPC’s liabilities to the Treasury had been settled; and that the Rs. 50 levy could be removed immediately. Has it been removed? People now ask on social media whether commissions are still being taken. This shows that promises made before the election have not materialized.

¶ 04 Another example: you promised to raise the PAYE threshold to Rs. 200,000 under an NPP Government. But in your policy document you set it at Rs. 150,000. Why? Because the IMF target was Rs. 160 billion; last year Rs. 190 billion was collected, so to reduce by Rs. 40 billion, you broke promises and cut the threshold to Rs. 150,000, not Rs. 200,000.

¶ 05 What did you promise senior citizens? A comfortable life; higher fixed-deposit interest with only 5 per cent withholding tax. Now they get lower rates and 10 per cent WHT. Your policy document (p. 39) promised “an interest rate that is 5% higher than the normal bank rate(s) for senior citizens’ fixed deposits.” Instead of 15 per cent, they now get around 8 per cent, plus 10 per cent WHT. How will seniors buy medicine, travel, or eat? You have reduced their interest and increased WHT — a policy that squeezes them. This is Ranil Wickremesinghe’s old approach: increase taxes like sucking blood.

¶ 06 Deputy Minister Namal Karunaratne said in December 2017 that importing rice was wrong, citing…